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Teams around the NFL are in playing their preseason games as the 2023 NFL season is set to start next month. For fans, it's an exciting time to look out for rookies and new faces that will help their favorite teams in their paths to the Lombardi Trophy.
Last season we saw rookies Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson step in for the New York Jets and have an immediate impact. Which rookies could we see have a similar impact on their team's success in 2023?
Let's look at five rookies who could have the biggest impact this season:
#5, Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions (RB)
When the decision was made by the Detroit Lions to pick Jahmyr Gibbs at 12th overall, many analysts around the NFL felt that it was a reach.
Today, running backs are valued less than ever and few see the reward of selecting a running back in the first round.
However, Gibbs is a freakish athlete with a great receiving upside. The rookie led the Alabama Crimson Tide in receptions in 2022, catching 44 passes for 444 yards and three touchdowns. Not to mention the elite burst that helped propel him to 926 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns, averaging an outstanding 6.1 yards per carry.
Jahmyr Gibbs will step into a very promising Lions offense as their feature back. Through camp, he has displayed versatility and elite playmaking ability and will be featured at numerous spots around the field for the Lions this season.
Expect a solid amount of touches with very efficient output from the rookie back in 2023.
#4, Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens (WR)
The Baltimore Ravens have been a team on the hunt when it comes to looking for receivers in recent times. Over their last five drafts, Baltimore has selected seven wide receivers but has struggled to find a true WR1.
Minnesota product, Rashod Bateman, has shown promising flashes but has struggled to stay on the field. Finally, it seems like the Ravens have found their guys in Zay Flowers and Odel Beckham Jr.
Flowers is viewed more of a prototypical 'slot' receiver with his smaller frame but will break games open with his elite speed and jump-ball ability. Standing at just 5'9'', Flowers is an aggressive jump-ball receiver with great speed and solid intermediate route running ability.
His 2022 campaign at Boston College saw him catch 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns before being selected by the Baltimore Ravens 22nd overall in the 2023 NFL draft.
Lamar Jackson will have a dangerous target in Flowers for years to come if, knock on wood, he's able to stay healthy.
#3, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (WR)
The Seattle Seahawks were a huge surprise last season as veteran quarterback Geno Smith headlined an electric air-it-out offense. The 32-year-old had his best season throwing for almost 4,300 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. The 9-8 Seahawks would eventually fall to a superior 49ers team in the playoffs, but Seattle wasn't done yet.
In a busy offseason, the Seahawks extended their quarterback and had one of the better drafts in the NFL. They took Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon sixth overall and solidified their air raid offense with the addition of electric Ohio State wideout, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Smith-Njigba will step into an elite receiver room, joining forces with established stars Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. The former Buckeyes star spent most of the 2022 season away from the team, but caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in the 2021 season, including his signature 15-catch, 347-yard, three-touchdown game in the Rose Bowl.
The Seahawks rookie will make a great impact in the NFL with his elite route-running ability and co-stars at the two other receiver spots to open him up. There could be big things to come for this exciting Seahawks offense.
#2, Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (QB)
After a lengthy process of trial and error, it appears that the Carolina Panthers have finally found their QB1 to bring in a new era.
Carolina has seen a number of starting quarterbacks since the days of Cam Newton, but by all accounts, Bryce Young is ready to be the standard of a new direction.
The 2023 number one overall pick had a storied college career that saw him throw for 8,356 yards and 80 touchdowns all while taking home the Heisman Trophy after an other-worldly 2021 campaign.
Young steps and could make some noise under head coach and longtime NFL quarterback Frank Reich in a weak NFC South division.
Carolina has some solid pieces in place with new additions Miles Sanders and Hayden Hurst and will look to hoist the NFC South title and host a playoff game in 2023.
#1, Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (RB)
He is possibly the best rookie in the NFL, and no team will lean on a rookie more than the Atlanta Falcons will lean on running back Bijan Robinson.
The number eight overall pick in the NFL draft was widely viewed as a generational prospect coming out of Texas and had been garnering attention since his freshman season as a Longhorn.
Robinson galloped for 1,894 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns in his final collegiate season in 2022 and was all anyone could talk about leading up to the draft.
The new Atlanta running back is a threat from a number of positions on offense and has been seen lining up in the backfield, in the slot, and even out wide on an island as a receiver. The Falcons will look to use their newest offensive weapon in a number of ways to compliment other stars Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
With a young quarterback in Desmond Ridder, it's within reason to believe Atlanta will lean on their elite offensive line and generational running back a lot this upcoming season. The Falcons' offense has a lot of versatility and will be a fun one to watch in the 2023 NFL season.
